Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, says the current spate of security challenges facing Nigeria calls for serious retrospection from the leadership and all citizens.
He said this on Sunday in a homily he delivered during his pastoral visit to St. Luke’s Catholic Church, Kubwa, Abuja.
Mr Kaigama, who administered the sacrament of confirmation to about 500 candidates during the event, used the medium to speak on the state of affairs in the country.
He said that before now, Nigerians were branded as the happiest and most religious people on earth.
“In spite of the magnitude of evil going on in our land, on Sundays and Fridays, people fill the churches and mosques, and my question is, where are these evil perpetrators coming from? Do they really worship God?” he said.
Mr Kaigama, who traced the problem plaguing the country to the 1960 Nigeria/Biafran civil war, noted that it was since then that tribalism and religious sentiments became measures used in sharing national resources.
He said this situation had degenerated to some people being treated as sacred cows, after they stole resources belonging to the public and nothing happens to them.
“Rather than being punished, they get honoured and most of what they stole their children and children’s children can’t finish.
“All these are things causing us to draw back, but in other places, such things are not done. In South Africa, South Korea, and other countries, things are done differently; leaders are punished for wrongdoing.
“We are too polite to leaders who stole our common patrimonies in our country and until we begin to punish such corrupt leaders, things can’t move forward.
“In our country, if you say that a former leader from any part of the country had done something wrong, all the groups in that part would come to his defence, and that is why we are not moving forward,” Mr Kaigama said.
He said in Equatorial Guinea, an oil-producing nation like Nigeria, the level of development there is great and yet Nigeria has nothing to show for its oil
The archbishop said, “If we must get things right, leaders must think of the nation and not tribe and religion.”
He asked God to touch the hearts of those perpetrating evils, especially in Nigeria, for them to have a change of heart.
Mr Kaigama said, “Police in the world are those who, when in trouble, if you run to them and they will help you, but I don’t know if that is the case in Nigeria.”
The archbishop, who alluded to Nigeria being declared a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by President Donald Trump and the threat of military action, said there is a need for in-depth reflection on the intervention before taking any further action.
“America should give us holistic help and not bombing and flying drones and thereafter go their way.
“They should not bomb and run away as they did in Afghanistan and Iran after shattering the whole place;, that kind of help is not what we want here,” he said.
He prayed for those in captivity, especially school children recently kidnapped in kebbi, Niger, a priest killed in Kaduna and an army general killed in Borno, among others.
“We should pray for good leadership, both elected and non-elected leadership. We are tired of killings, destruction and evil,” he said.
